Zoo: The lions are well fed

AS outrage and memes continue to spread over the image of an apparently emaciated lion at the Emperor Valley Zoo, the Zoological Society has issued another media statement in an effort to explain the lion’s appearance.

The media release, titled “Social Media Lion Concerns,” is based on an evaluation of the Facebook posting and comments on the photo by John Seyjagat, executive director of the Zoological Association of America. Seyjagat is a former head zookeeper of the Emperor Valley Zoo and through visits to the zoo is familiar with the animals and their management.

He said the lion, while seemingly smaller in stature, and with a reduced, lighter-coloured mane, seems to be in “good physical condition with smooth and even coat.” In the wild, he said, lions live in prides which include numerous males in a strict hierarchy, and this is maintained at the Emperor Valley Zoo.

“During the oestrus cycle in females, the dynamics in the pride change. Males are separated for pride management and selected breeding when desired. During the rut or oestrus cycle, males become tunnel-visioned and do and think of anything else but finding a mate and successfully breeding. This results in aggression and struggles for dominance.”

He said lions, like people, have specific physical traits and each lion looks different from others, as genetics also give rise to facial features, body structure, mane size and colour, which account for the different looks among the males. “The lion depicted in the photo is the smallest of this male group, with a smaller, lighter-coloured mane.” However, he noted, “This lion is well within the weight range and body scoring for the species. It should be noted that when males of any mammal are grouped together there is a tendency for the dominant males to suppress the subdominant males resulting in shrunken gonads and reduced sexual drive. In lions it may also result in mane loss.”

The zoo also posted a picture of two regal-looking lions, which, instead of putting the matter to rest, ignited the debate, with one person commenting that the photo was how the lions used to look when they first arrived in Trinidad.

Another person posted a meme under the caption “kublionsingh,” which shows the body of a thin man with a lion head fused into the body. That meme has received 302 shares.

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"Zoo: The lions are well fed"

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